Today, February 1, is National Freedom Day. A day which commemorates the signing of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865 by the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln. The idea to celebrate the holiday came from Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former slave. Wright organized a group of leaders to write a bill for a national holiday that would celebrate freedom for all Americans. In celebration of National Freedom Day, here are 7 of our favorite quotes from Lincoln on freedom.

“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”

“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

“In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free – honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.”

“No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.”

“Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.”

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.”

Happy National Freedom Day to you!

What are you waiting for? Brew for a better world!

Who would have thought mints could generate fruit trees?

Several members of the Project 7 team just returned from San Francisco and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s Winter Fancy Food Show.

The show includes:

17,000 attendees including the industry’s top buyers, foodservice professionals and journalists

1,300 exhibitors from more than 35 countries around the world

80,000 products featuring the  finest foods and beverages

That’s a lot of people! And that’s a lot of food! (Two of our favorite things!) So, of course we had an absolute blast meeting new friends from around the globe, telling them the Project 7 story, and sampling our ‘products for good.’

And when the show closed Tuesday afternoon, we were thrilled to learn that the show donated all the remaining food and beverages to area-anti-hunger programs and initial estimates are they will be able to feed 1,7000 individuals in need. How cool is that?!?

7 Day Stencil! from Project 7 on Vimeo.

Started by Project 7’s founder, Tyler Merrick, 7 Day is a monthly means of volunteering. A national movement to engage and inspire people to make a difference. Below are just a handful of the events happening in 7 Day chapters around the country.

Marian House Soup Kitchen
Colorado Springs, CO
Jan 14, 2012
http://changethescore.com/events/31

Help Pack Sack Lunches
Lincoln, NE
Jan 20, 2012
http://changethescore.com/events/34

Capital Area Food Bank
Austin, TX
Jan 21, 2012
http://changethescore.com/events/35

Feed My Starving Children
Minneapolis, MN
Jan 28, 2012
http://changethescore.com/events/23

El Centro Community Garden
El Centro, CA
Jan 28, 2012
No event posting at this time. Contact ballein@project7.com for more information.

Want to see if there is a 7 Day chapter in your neighborhood? Go here for a complete listing of chapters.

Are you a great leader, enjoy organizing events, or just have a heart that loves to help others? Start your own 7 Day chapter. Simply complete the application form and we’ll get you ready to launch a 7 Day Chapter in your city.

In recent months, the Project 7 team has grown dramatically. Since we moved to California this summer, we’ve hired Ann Fong (formerly with Trina Turk and Paul Frank) as our CFO/VP of Operations, Laura Wasser (formerly with Hurley and Vans Warped Tour) as our VP of Marketing, and Scott Patt (formerly with Hurley and Converse) as our Chief Creative Officer.

This week as we sat around our conference room table at our Monday morning staff meeting, I realized it was two people’s first day and three other people’s first month. What was a nimble and hard-working team of four is now a talented and diverse group of fourteen. I quickly realized that it was imperative that we laid down some ground rules to help the team assimilate and reduce inefficiencies and potential awkwardness.

Here are five quick and easy tips I shared with the group in hopes of assimilating an effective, and unstoppable, team.

1. Take ownership. Don’t assume that someone else has it covered. Make sure you have it covered. This is especially important on a small team and one that is growing. The stuff that falls in the cracks can make or break a year.

Click here to read the read on the Catalyst blog.

The 2^nd grade class helped us fill Christmas stockings with lots of goodies for kids at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter.  This shelter provides a safe haven, high quality care and hope for the future to children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected.  Since opening in 1993, the Children’s Shelter has cared for more than 5,500 children from throughout the state of Arkansas.  Their capacity of 48 beds, state-of-the-art complex, on-site school and on-site counseling services make them unique among children’s emergency shelters in Arkansas and our region. The combination of these features creates a stable, secure and loving environment where the hurts that children have experienced can begin to heal.

Part of the joy about today was not only delivering the stockings to the shelter, but the eagerness and excitement our 8 year old volunteers displayed when we asked them for their help.  At such a young age, they too have the same desire we have, which is to help those in need of having their spirits lifted.  This group of 2^nd graders proves there is no age restriction to giving…anybody, anywhere, anytime can help CHANGE THE SCORE!

Do you have a 7 Day chapter? If so, we’d love to hear your 7 Day update. If not, go here to learn more about starting a 7 Day chapter in your area.

“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

William Arthur Ward

Thank you for your support of Project 7 in our work to right some wrongs – to hope for peace, to feed the hungry, to quench the thirsty, to teach them well, to save the earth, to heal the sick, and to house the homeless.

Together we can ‘change the score.’

Here are 5 simple suggestions as you craft your resolutions. Suggestions that incorporate Project 7’s efforts to Heal the Sick, Feed the Hungry, House the Homeless, Quench the Thirsty, Teach them Well, Hope for Peace and Save the Earth.

1. Select an issue.

There is so much hurt and suffering in the world, and often times we can easily become overwhelmed and feel helpless. Somewhere along the way we have believed the lie that if we can’t help everybody, we shouldn’t help anybody. We have to start somewhere, and this new year, why not find a cause that is closest to your heart. Whether it’s feeding a hungry child down the street or giving the couple of bucks that it takes to provide malaria medication for someone in Africa in order to save their life, we can join hand in and hand and Change the Score little by little.

2. Get informed.

If you don’t know where to start, Project 7 can be a great resource. We have already chosen 7 causes that we are extremely passionate about and we will not stop until we knock down these problems one by one. Visit project7.com to learn more about these causes and how you can help us make the world a better place.

We understand that there are a lot more than 7 problems in the world. What you are passionate about may be something that is not in the scope of our 7 projects. Don’t you worry. We have amazing friends and partners that are doing some incredible work through out the world. Visit our ‘how we give’ page to learn more about them.

You can also stay informed by following us on Twitter and Facebook.

3. Choose products for good.

Often times, it is easy to feel that if you are not physically involved in helping someone, then you can’t make a difference. This is not true. Helping people has become incredibly easy. In fact you can do help someone in need by simply purchasing a pack of Project 7 gum at your local Walmart.

For example, every tray of Project 7 Feed the Hungry mints will provide 7 meals in American communities, or a tube of Save the Earth gum will plant a fruit tree.

For a full list our Project 7 products, visit our online store.

4. Start a 7 Day Chapter.

What is 7 Day, you ask? It’s a national movement engaging and inspiring people just like you, to offer their time to make a difference in our world. It’s as simple as teaming up with individuals in your area once a month to lend a helping hand to those in need. Project 7 wants to make it as easy as possible and provide you with the tools to impact your community.

Why not start a club on your college campus? Or with your high school ministry? Or with some colleagues from work?

Visit changethescore.com to learn more.

5. Use your gifts to make a difference in the world.

Each and everyone of you has a unique talent. For some, it may be singing, painting, speaking or whatever. To not use these talents is a waste. Find what you are gifted with and use it to make the world a better place. Write a song, make video, etc.